[yeureka]

In 2007, at the peak of the property boom, I was working in Barcelona as video games programmer earning around 1700€/month after tax.

I felt lucky since most people I knew there ( including other programmers ) earned around 1000€ per month. But I couldn't understand how the economy functioned when highly educated people working in Barcelona earned so little in comparison to living costs and still property prices kept on rising at double digit percentages.

Then I met a young guy who worked on building sites mixing cement and laying bricks. He said he loved to play videogames and he wanted to be a tester. When I told him how much I was paid he looked at me in disbelief and said he got 2500€/month and that I should man up and demand more or quit.

I guess in his trade at the time you could do that...